Ex-kickboxer Steps Right In To Win Pro Debut In 50 Seconds

MIAMI BEACH -- Chemek Saleta, a 23-year-old former kickboxer from Poland, made his professional debut Monday at the Miami Beach Convention Center in grand fashion.

Saleta, a cruiserweight, thumped Steve Paolilli (2-3), of West Palm Beach, on top of the head in the bout`s opening seconds, sending Paolilli to the canvas.

Paolilli got back to his feet, and was sent straight back down by a left uppercut, giving Saleta, managed by Angelo Dundee, a knockout victory 50 seconds into the bout.

``Not bad,`` Dundee said of his muscular fighter. ``He`s for real.``

The bout was one of the prelims to the World Boxing Federation`s middleweight title bout between Darrin Morris, of Detroit and West Palm, and Chicago`s Ron Amundsen. The title bout began late Monday.

When Saleta climbed from the ring, Dundee turned him toward Muhammad Ali, seated close by. Ali feigned jabs at the young Pole, who speaks no English and could only smile back at the living legend.

Dundee had another foreign fighter win his pro-debut with a first-round knockout. George Scott, of Sweden, won his junior welterweight bout by popping Armando Gonzalez (0-4), of West Palm, with two left hands.

Rafael Ortega (15-6), of San Antonio, defeated Lunga Dunda (12-7), of South Africa, by TKO 1:10 into the eighth for the vacant WBF Intercontinental Jr. Featherweight title.

Ortega had control of the bout most of the way, but Dunda continued to come back from punishing combinations by sticking his own stiff jabs in Ortega`s face.

After the bout, one boxing official said Oretega was the best young fighter he`d seen come through Miami ``in a long time.``

In other bouts:

Heavyweight Mark Carrier (25-1-1), of Bristol, Tenn., stopped Greg Gorrell (23-13-1), of Wichita, Kan., with a sixth-round TKO. Carrier, son of Bristol International Speedway owner Larry Carrier, knocked Gorrell down in the first round then ended the bout at 2:31 of Round 6 by punishing a cut over Gorrell`s left eye.